Inspiration

The ultimate test of your foreign language skills is in giving a presentation or speech in that foreign language. Giving a speech in your native language may be challenging enough, but changing the language can almost be like inviting a train wreck.

If practice and preparation are important for native language speeches, then they are of utmost importance in foreign language speeches. Additionally, the elements that constitute a good English speech can generally be applied to any speech. After all, a good speech is a good speech.

Here are the recommendations from the slideshow above once more:

10 Common mistakes in public speaking:

Not a clear message, not clear ideas

Over-reliance on PPTs

Not focusing on the audience

Too complicated

Too long, too unstructured

Just data/facts with no interpretation

A clearly speaker-centric monologue

Being nervous about the language

Weak performance

Lack of practice

The first 7 can be adjusted through preparation: writing, visuals, organizing the speech, and so on. The final 3 can be fixed with practice.

And again from the PPT, here are the 8 questions (paraphrased) to ask yourself as you prepare your speech:

Presentation preparation – step-by-step:

Is your message clear?

Is it audience-focused and helpful for them?

What is your elevator pitch (30-second summary of the speech)?

Do you have a strong story?

Do you have a clear structure?

Do you know what questions they might ask? (Practice your answers to the toughest questions.)

Finally, if you’re still dangerously nervous about the language, it’s likely you’ve not practiced enough. A little bit of nervousness is acceptable. Public speaking itself can rattle your nerves, and speaking in a foreign language can also rattle your nerves. Putting them together can magnify the nervousness. But, practicing until (near) perfection can have a significant effect on calming your nerves. If you’re TOO nervous, consider more practice.

Here are the best tips I picked up from various resources about practicing foreign language speeches:

15 Tips for making a great foreign language speech

Give yourself extra time (like a week or two extra) to prepare

Know your audience

Outline your speech (make sure to have a clear message and structure)

Write out your entire speech

Read it aloud

Have a native help you with pronunciation (and other things like structure, cultural references, etc)

Memorize the speech (but try to understand rather than just memorizing syllables and sounds)

Write out simple notes to guide you as you talk

Practice, practice, practice again (in front of a friend, a mirror, a camera)

On the speech day, speak slowly

Get the audience on your side (engage them)

Don’t apologize if you’re nervous (just get on with it)

Be confident and speak confidently

Giving a speech in a foreign language is the ultimate test of your foreign language abilities because public speaking by its very nature is quite challenging. And this exercise also forces you to understand the language well enough to organize and prepare a killer speech. Good luck!~

Challenge

As the final Challenge in this 30-Day Challenge, this one is the most difficult and will require the most preparation.

#30: Find a venue (even if it’s small and private) in which to give a speech in Korean. Prepare, practice, and present it. Record your speech.